CARIOSTATIC AND ULTRACONSERVATIVE SEALED RESTORATIONS - 9-YEAR RESULTS AMONG CHILDREN AND ADULTS

The objective of this clinical study was to evaluate the long-term eff icacy of placing sealed posterior composite restorations for arresting active caries. The tooth preparation for this bonded and sealed resto ration was limited to placing a bevel in the enamel only, without the removal of the carious lesion. The radiographic and clinical performan ce of these ultraconservative sealed composite restorations placed ove r caries (CompS/C) was compared over a period of nine years with: 1) u ltraconservative, localized sealed amalgam (AGS) restorations with no extension for prevention, and 2) traditional, unsealed amalgam restora tions (AGU) with the usual extension for prevention outline form. Seal ant retention with >50 percent to 100 percent of the margins occurred in 64 percent of CompS/C and 82.5 percent of AGS restorations. After n ine years the cumulative failure rates were 16 percent for CompS/C, 2. 5 percent for AGS, and 17.1 percent for AGU restorations. Thus, the cl inical performance of CompS/C restorations was slightly superior to th at of the traditional AGU restorations. The AGS restorations were defi nitely superior to the traditional AGU restorations and to the CompS/C restorations in both children and adults alike. Complete sealant rete ntion over CompS/C and AGS restorations was equivalent between childre n and adults (P=0.14 and 0.74, respectively). A higher percentage of o pen margins in CompS/C restorations was seen, however, in children (17 .4 percent) than adults (1.94 percent). This study has shown that Clas s I caries can be arrested by the CompS/C restoration.